Three EU parliament vice presidents question access denial to Puigdemont

Three of the 14 European Parliament vice presidents have questioned the decision to deny access to the chamber to the former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, who was elected MEP in the May 26 EU election.

Representatives of the Socialdemocrats, the Liberals and the Greens have cast some doubt on the move last week, thought to be taken by the institution's secretary general, Klaus Welle.

Puigdemont and fellow pro-independence MEP-elect Toni Comín were denied access to the chamber on May 30 when trying to get a temporary registration as representatives in order to move forward with the process to take up their seats.

One of the chamber bureau members, Socialist MEP Sylvie Guillaume, said that the vice presidents "were not involved in the decision."

"I would also appreciate a clarification of president Tajani on the issue," she added in an email responding to a complaint by 10 MEPs.

Her comments were on the same page as the reaction of another vice president, the Liberal MEP Pavel Telicka.

He said that no one asked him to "take a decision on the issue" and called on president Tajani to clarify that the bar was not discussed or agreed in the chamber.

"I hope Mr. Tajani clarifies it, and not only to you," he said also responding by email to the complaint.

Talking to the Catalan News Agency, the vice president of the Greens, Heidi Hautala, also expressed desire that the chamber head, Antonio Tajani, "explains in detail" the reasons for the vetoes in the next meeting of the bureau, to be held on June 17, where she hopes the events are discussed.